Howdy, brand new from Texas

[1FlewOver]

Hello all.....obviously...brand new to the forum...but also almost brand new to chickens.

About a week ago....a Barred Rock showed up on the fence between my house and my neighbor's.....After a very short chase...I caught the poor little booger....

Poor little thing only has one eye and is missing almost all it's tail feathers....Needless to say...I wasn't exactly ready for this new arrival...

Now....I know where it came from....but I didn't want to take it back to the PO's....(or is that "POS" previous owners? ).....because #1: they do not contain their chickens.....(this is in the city, although I have no room to talk...because it's free range right now....but I didn't plan to have one). And #2: It obviously suffered abuse...(probably from other chickens..)....(maybe overcrowded? IDK....(I'm new)....

Anyway, I came across this site looking for coop ideas.....and thought I'd join because I'm now considering getting more chickens and I'm gonna need advice....

I'm so green....it took me 3 days before I noticed it panting and brought it some water...(a small cereal bowl....which it quickly drained) .....

I'm not a complete noob about chickens....but I am about their care...

So.....Until I get a coop and run built....I've been bringing it in at night and putting it in a pet carrier for the night and letting it loose in the garden in the morning...

It now has a home....and while it came to me almost immediately when I first got it and called it....it now follows me around when it sees me outside.....

If I wasn't tired of typing....I could do one more sentence and have a longer novel than 'War and Peace'......sorry.....

EDIT: I just got an email from support welcoming me to the site with some pointers about the site....and this warning about being careful or I would be talking chickens all the time.....I must say I've never heard something so ridiculous in my life, why I.....bock bock bock bah....bock bock...buck buck bagah....bock bock bock.....lol....

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! Have loved reading through your very interesting intro!! Quite an intro for you into chicken keeping I have to say. It's so nice of you to take this bird in and think about getting it some friends. Do you know if you have a roo or a hen? You have done the right thing bringing it in on a night so predators can't get it.

Please do drop by the learning centre, lots of super articles on getting started with a flock. Here is the link ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Wishing you the very best of luck in the future and be sure to ask any questions that you may have.
Everyone here to help and very friendly.

Enjoy BYC and all the chicken chat. (Oh yes you will soon be talking chicken all the time!!)

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[1FlewOver]

Thanks for the warm welcome.....Yeah.....bringing it in at night was a given....as I have wild possums and at least one racoon that are my wild backyard pets.....I went through 4 or 5 baby possums I tried to make pets out of....had one I raised from a baby to full grown....had it in the living room in a rabbit cage.....a small litter box which she was pretty good about using.....took her out almost every night and she spent time in my lap.....but....they just don't make good pets....you can tame them....but they are too paranoid to enjoy human companionship.....

I caught a full grown racoon.....and thought about taming it.....(just for the challenge) ....but then I reconsidered how hard it would be feeding, watering, and cleaning a cage with an animal ready to relive me of some fingers...

A couple of weeks ago....I caught a full grown Texas rat snake....and it's pretty mellow....so I'm working on taming it....it's taken several naps in my lap....but it's also bit me on the side of the head....and struck at my nose.....

Gonna see if I can post pics......Well....I'll figure that out later.....

EDIT: Oh....sorry Yorkshire.....IDK....It's a young chicken....pretty quiet.....but I have a big gray haired cat.....anyway....both were loose in the house....when that chicken saw that cat....it went off on a tirade that sounded like crowing to me....but maybe it wasn't....haven't found any eggs yet....jury is still out.....unfortunately, as much as I like to hear roosters....I'm afraid if it is.....I won't be able to keep it.....

 

[drumstick diva]

If you post a photo we may be able to tell you what breed & gender it is. What are you feeding it? Chickens need lots of cool, clean water. I doubt that it will cause you grief like your wild animals that didn't want to be tamed.

 

[1FlewOver]

Pretty sure it's a Barred Rock....Sorry, haven't figured out how to post pics here yet....

Yeah, I'm trying to keep it supplied with water....we've had so much rain here and I have ponds...so it just didn't dawn on me right away.....

Just feeding it scratch right now....(and a couple of cherry tomatoes....lol....)...it's been nibbling on the grass....and kinda scrounging around in the garden....(hopefully finding some bugs)....

I'll be researching more here and worry a bit more about husbandry when I start restricting it's movements....

EDIT: I'm gonna give posting a pic....

 

[1FlewOver]

[/IMG]Hmmmm.....still trying to figure the ins and outs of posting on this forum.....

Anyway....just went out to get some better pictures of "Rocky".....wasn't where it usually hangs out....but
..it's found a pond....and by happy coincidence....a floor fatigue mat had blown into it....giving it a perfect ramp to go get a drink.....

 

[1FlewOver]

Sorry....trying different stuff.....bear with me.